The man said he had to defend himself when he was attacked delivering a pizza in Glen Burnie in December. Since then, he said he was moved to a job where he's barely making enough money to support himself.

At about 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 14, Sam Swicegood, a 24-year-old delivery driver for Pizza Hut, pulled up to a home on Lincoln Court in Glen Burnie -- an area where a co-worker had been robbed at gunpoint a month earlier.

"The house had no lights on and there were some people that were walking around the side of the house, and it was suspicious to me," Swicegood said.

So, he said he pulled a fiberglass tent pole from the back of his car and put it up his sleeve and walked to the door. Once there, he said he was surrounded by five guys in hooded sweatshirts.

"The guy was digging in his pockets, I thought maybe to get money. He pulled his hand out of his pocket and he sucker-punched me in the face against the door. I fell against the door, dropped my pizzas, dropped my tent pole into my hand, and I grabbed it and came down, and I covered my face. I came down started swinging at them," Swicegood said.

The people fled, and Swicegood said he called police. Officers searched the area and said they arrested a 13-year-old and two 14-year-olds and charged them in connection with the incident.

But Swicegood said he had a problem with what happened next. He said he got a call from Pizza Hut human resources officials, who told him he violated their weapons policy that says drivers are not allowed to carry any weapons. Later, he was taken out of the position of delivery driver and moved to a job working in the kitchen. Pizza Hut said the move was not a demotion, but Swicegood said he's now struggling to make ends meet.

"I would average out about $11 or $12 an hour with tip money and my wage together (as a driver). When I was moved to an inside position, I was technically given a raise. They gave me a quarter raise from $7.25 to $7.50, which unfortunately was a lot less than I was making as a driver," Swicegood said.

The company initially sent a statement to WBAL-TV 11 News, saying in part, "He was not demoted. His wages were not lowered and his hours were not cut as a result of this incident. He remains employed with Pizza Hut, and the situation is being handled internally with the utmost concern for his well-being."

But Swicegood said he only wants one thing.

"I would like my job back -- the one that was paying my bills," Swicegood said.

By 5 p.m. Wednesday, Pizza Hut reinstated him to resume making deliveries at another location in Anne Arundel County, which made Swicegood "very excited."